The 2017 Bentley Bentayga Is a Savage Brute in a Bowtie

The jaunt between the idyllic Sausalito, California Bay and Stinson Beach is just over 14 miles, but it’ll take you three-quarters of an hour to complete, if you’ve wisely opted for the Panoramic Highway. That delightfully twisty expanse of tarmac will wind you through some properly beautiful forests that span the Muir Woods and the Mount Tamalpais State Park. The tight switchbacks are technical and tough, with little room for run-off. The Panoramic Highway is best suited for a composed, agile, and lithe sports car; a Ferrari 488 or a Lamborghini Aventador or a Porsche 911 Turbo S, all marques routinely idling around the posh Northern California region. And all of which can carve up this perfect road with aplomb.

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Most would be hard pressed to eschew those exotic coupes in favor of a 2.8 ton SUV when attacking the Panoramic Highway. Most have not experienced the Bentley Bentayga. The crew at Crewe, England, where the Bentayga is meticulously hand-assembled, bill their mighty ute as the fastest SUV in the world, claiming the speedo will rocket all the way up to 187 mph. Under the bonnet, a twin-turbo 6.0-liter W-12 that produces a prodigious 600 horsepower and a staggering 664 lb-ft of torque. Mated to an eight-seed automatic which gets that power out to all four wheels, the Bentayga will scream from a standstill to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds. (That’s only a half second slower than a Ferrari 488.)

On paper, the Bentayga is impressive enough—including the sticker price, which starts at $229,100—but on a road like the Panoramic Highway is where Bentley’s first SUV shines. Nose into the first switchback and get on the throttle, and the brute in a bowtie lurches forward. The power comes on like a freight train, but you don’t get the sense you’re in danger of tipping off the rails. The whoosh of torque that slams you into your Burnt Oak hide, pinning you there, is gratifying and verges on sensory overload, but it comes on in a stately, manageable fashion, as you’d expect from a Bentley.

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Toggle between the three drive options—Comfort, Sport and Bentley (a mix of the former two)— but sport is where the Bentayga comes alive on a more technical road. The lack of body roll for a luxury vehicle that tips the scales at 5,672 pounds is astonishing. The Bentayga is planted, and surefooted, and nimble enough to switch directions in a snap without so much as a squeal from its 21-inch tires. The Bentayga is like a defensive lineman who annihilates a 40-yard dash, quickly cuts right and obliterates another 40.

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Credit is due, in part, to the fact that the Bentayga is the first production car to feature an active electric roll bar system, Bentley Dynamic Ride, which employs high-power motors to soften and stiffen the front and rear sway bars on the fly. Lesser vehicles rely on slower, hydraulic systems, comparatively giving the Bentayga an appreciable amount of composure.

As your foot sinks the drilled alloy accelerator deeper into those plush deep pile floor mats (a $495 option), the speedometer flies higher, the tall California Redwoods blur faster. The hustle in this behemoth is astonishing. The gap between 50 and 70 mph vanishes in 2.7 seconds, on par with a McLaren 570S. The scramble to 100 mph takes a mere 8.5.

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Scrubbing speed in the luxury rocket is equally quick, thanks to 15.7-inch rotors up front and 15-inch rotors in the rear. (The calipers could snag those dinner plate-sized brakes with a bit more firmness, but perhaps this very Bentayga had already seen a fair share of high-speed flogging.) Still, there was nary a worry about overshooting a corner due to brake fade.

The Bentayga will gobble up as much free road as it can, but running into a spot of slower traffic gives you a chance to appreciate the fineries that only Bentley can impart upon an interior. Graze your fingers across the leather and appreciate that Bentley’s hides are sourced exclusively from bulls who live at higher altitudes, where bugs can’t bite and leave imperfections. The contrast stitching on the steering wheel is perfect, an impressive feat when you know it was completed by hand, using a kitchen fork to mark the spaces that guide the needle.

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The front seats are equipped with several comfort and massage options, $3,560, and will gently pummel your back into tender submission as you motor. The chestnut wood inlay on the dash and waist rails has been hand-worked into a fine polish by no less than 20 sets of skilled tradesmen. A $4,690 Naim stereo system bombards your ears with the highest fidelity sound available. An event specification, $3,200, adds a folding bench to the cargo area upon which you can perch to take in glamorous events people who own Bentleys typically enjoy, like polo or horse racing or something else likely showcasing equines.

Upon arriving at Stinson Beach, a twist of the drive mode dial enacts the height-adjustable suspension for one of four different off-road modes, including the likes of Mud and Trail or Dirt and Gravel. These are helpful for driving this Bentayga onto the beach and preparing for some surfing, and the vehicle is capable of tackling various types of terrain with relative ease, though it’s safe to assume those settings would be employed rather sparingly by actual owners for legitimate outdoor excursions.

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Apres-surf, dive into the $32,000 picnic hampers in the boot, including a serving set with fine china and silver flatware, a champagne holder with crystal stemware, and a cashmere blanket. This option features three module units, each removeable, all of which are crafted from fine leathers and brushed aluminium. Do you need a picnic set that costs more than most compact cars? No, but you’ll most definitely want it.

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The Bentayga is not without its drawbacks. You’ll quickly become acquainted with gas station locations, as it averages 14 miles per gallon (10 city/18 highway), but if you can afford a $229,100 SUV ($265,595 as tested here), your wallet won’t be terribly pained at the pumps. The Bentayga could also be louder. There’s a nice low growl that hints at those 600 horses galloping under the hood, but the external noise is quite subdued. Perhaps that’s how Bentley owners prefer to roll, but a little horrorshow from the exhaust is never a bad thing. Lastly, there could be a bit more legroom in the rear. Taller backseat passengers may find longer jaunts in the Bentayga a mite cramped.

Is $265,595 a ton of money for an SUV? Of course. The Bentayga isn’t made for everyone, and it’s easy to scoff at the sticker price and write it off. However, you get a ton of capable vehicle for that price. Any doubts will instantly diminish the minute you point the Winged B into the first turn of pristine driving roads such as the Panoramic Highway.

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